Ford Mustang GT – when the phrase "iron horse" takes on a literal meaning.

Make: Ford
Model: Mustang GT (Fifth generation)
Engine: 304 hp
Dimensions (L/W/H): 4562/1755/1323

What are the first associations that come to mind when you hear Ford Mustang? "Transformers", "Gone in 60 Seconds", "Death Race"? Video games? Swagger and power? All of that fundamentally fails to convey the essence of this truly legendary car, because the very first thing you should think of is the horse and horsepower. Both attributes are hinted at by the car's own emblem, depicting a silver, swiftly galloping wild mustang. And there really is a heck of a lot of power in it!


But let's go into more detail. The "mustang" itself has changed many times in terms of design. The first two generations belong to the classic era of muscle cars, so it's not hard to find shared shapes with such "relatives" as the Chevrolet Camaro SS or Pontiac GTO, which set the fashion back then. In the fifth reincarnation, however, we have the same car, brought up to modern standards of beauty, but retaining its huge, seemingly deliberately crudely hewn, massive body shape, its overall bulk and a certain… old-fashionedness, a striking example of which are the stylized round headlights located right next to the grille. What is completely unlike the retro style, though, is the low ground clearance, with which you can in principle conquer curbs, but don't count on any great feats in this case. Actually, since we're on the subject of appearance, even without waxing lyrical about the car's beauty, you can give it a 10 out of 10 in advance, because while we were driving around Kyiv, every passerby turned their head. And indeed, probably only someone who doesn't like cars at all wouldn't turn around to behold the beauty of our steed. Also, don't forget the brand's homeland – America, which means the "mustang" can easily outsize a European/Japanese business-class sedan (the car's length is 4.5 meters). In that other hemisphere of the globe, they much prefer roomy cars.


But once you settle into the comfortable leather seat, literally a few seconds later you're disappointed exactly as much as you were admiring the exterior. Let's take it one at a time. First, the gauges – the tachometer and speedometer, recessed into their wells, are hard to see during the day because of strong sun glare, and if you decide to set the seat a little higher than standard, the numbers disappear from view entirely, since they're either blocked by the steering wheel or by the silver bezels of the instruments. The green backlighting looks completely out of place. In general, these are the main ergonomic problems of the "mustang", and you could call them childhood ailments that shouldn't afflict a grown-up sports coupe. Otherwise, it's all too easy to exceed the speed limit. However, the digitization itself is a hello from the mid-60s. Second – the trim materials. It's simply shameful – you won't believe it, but the base trim doesn't even have a leather interior! Yes, I feel nudists and ascetics will be pleased… But that's not all, next on the list is the quality of the plastic. Honestly, I've noticed this problem more than once, when expensive leather sits alongside plain, hollow-sounding plastic – lately BMW cars have been the worst offenders in this regard. And yet, even the fit and finish itself will probably lose to the democratic "Astra". But, excuse me, this is a sports car! For such a resounding class, such lapses are as absurd as loose threads on a $2000 jacket.


Well, all right, we've had our joys and disappointments with the exterior, so let's put it to the test. And here the mustang surprises once again – a powerful engine is the only thing you'll hear while driving. But it's exactly the way it was half a century ago – just as punchy, sharp, rough and flexible, pulling from the very lowest revs. The engine practically calls out to us: "Come on, spur me on!" Since we're on the subject of the engine, it's worth mentioning fuel consumption – in the city cycle, the car consumes about 18 liters and 12 respectively on the highway. Such figures can't be called economical; for this kind of mass-to-horsepower ratio (304), it's a bit much. However, the "mustang" still has 2 aces up its sleeve in this regard: first, its low demands on fuel quality, and second, the ability to run on 92-octane gasoline, with even the manufacturer assuring that in a pinch a small mixing of 92 with 80 is even possible (!). A drive around the city immediately makes it clear that you can travel in the "mustang" in comfort; besides, your legs don't get tired, the clutch pedal is well set up, the feedback through the steering wheel is transmitted clearly, but it doesn't make you feel every roughness of the road surface. The suspension, though, turned out to be quite stiff, with little travel, so bottoming it out on a pothole is no problem. So we head out onto the track and… immediately get disappointed. Even before we'd really begun the break-in, we discovered the mustang's big problems with "turn-in". The rear end keeps stepping out into a skid under too much throttle, and the steering responses themselves are fairly small. The "mustang" reluctantly swings its massive rear around to get through a corner. And given urban realities, you'll find it quite hard to perform maneuvers like a U-turn or parking, since it's hard to sense the dimensions from inside, though thankfully the blind spots aren't too big, although the rear window is still a bit narrow – but that's forgivable for a car like this. If you feel like studying the innards of our steed more deeply, then get ready for more surprises. The "mustang" inherited from its distant ancestors not only the very concept, but even the construction! Many parts still have the same design as they did 50 years ago, so don't be surprised by the suspension creaking over potholes. In general, it's hard to understand what this car's true element really is – maybe it's meant to remain a free steed? No, of course, it's capable of giving its owner a sea of pleasure, but only on long, smooth highways and freeways, and those aren't to be found just anywhere. If you intend to buy a "mustang", be sure to think through all these factors, otherwise you risk ending up disappointed in your iron horse.
August, 2010, Kyiv.